Container opener



Dec. 25, 1951 J DONNELLY 2,579,912

CONTAINER OPENER- Filed Nov. 12, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR, JOSEPH B. DONNELLV.

ATTORNEY 1951 J. B. DONNELLY 2, ,9

CONTAINER OPENER Filed Nov. 12, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR-r JOSEPH B. DONNELLK ATTORNEY D 25, 1951 J. B. DONNELLY 2,579,912

CONTAINER OPENER Filed Nov. 12, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR, JOSEPH B, DONNELLV.

ATTORNEK Patented Dec. 25, 1951 CONTAINER OPENER Joseph B. Donnelly, Burlingame, Calif., assignor to Schenley Industries, Inc., a corporation of Delaware Application November 12, 1947, Serial No. 785,481

5 Claims. (C1. 30-5.5)

1. This invention relates to improvements in container openers, and more particularly-to a can opener adapted to transform a sealed can into a drinking receptacle for dispensing beverages such as beer or the like therefrom.

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a can opener adapted to open the top of a sealed can to enable the contents to be poured therefrom rapidly and safely.

Another object is to provide a can opener adapted to open the top of a can in order to transform the same into a drinking glass or cup which enables contents of the can to be consumed from the can Without spillage or danger of injury to ly toward the contents of the can whereby said portion acts as a bafile to prevent spillage of the contents while carrying or transporting the opened can.

A further and specific object of the present invention is to provide a can opener having means adapted to partially cut away the lid of a sealed can to form a pouring space therein and which deforms the sheared metal portions of the can in a manner to prevent possible injurious contact therewith by a person drinking from the said opened can.

A further object of the present invention-is to provide a can opener of the character mentioned which is provided with means to prevent injury to the hands or other parts of a user's body.

A further object is to provide a can having an easily replaceable cutting blade.

Another object is to provide a can opener which is attractive in design, light in weight, relatively inexpensive to manufacture, which may be easily carried from place to place with facility or rigidly affixed in position as is desired.

Other objects and advantages become apparent upon referring to the specification and accompanying drawings in which similar characters of reference represent corresponding parts in the several views.

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the can opener showing the head member in normal inoperative position.

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view thereof.

'Fig. 3 is a top plan view thereof.

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the opener showing the head member in operative or cuttingv position.

Fig. 5 is a rear elevational view of the can opener in normal inoperative position.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6- 6 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken similar to Fig. 6 with the head member shown in operative or cutting position.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on. line 8-8 of Fig. 1 and showing the cutter blade, rib and shield.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken on line 9-4 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary rear perspective View of the cutter head member showing the blade, rib and shield assembly.

Fig. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary diagrammatic view illustrating the shield and cutter blade and showing the cutter blade about to pierce the top of a can.

Fig. 12 is a view similar to Fig. 10 and illustrates the shield and cutter blade at the approXi-- mate conclusion of a cutting stroke.

Fig. 13 is a top plan view of a can which ha been opened by the present invention.

Fig. 14 is a sectional view taken on line l4--I4 of Fig. 13.

The can opener is primarily adapted for use in opening sealed metal cans containing beverages such as beer or the like in order to transform the beverage containing can into a drinking receptacle from which the beverage may be easily dispensed. It is necessary in order to transform a can into a drinking receptacle that a sufliciently large area be opened therein to allow easy pouring of the contents therefrom, and likewise to deform the sheared metal of the can in such a manner as to prevent rou h edges thereof from contacting the mouth of the user. The present invention provides a can opener adapted to cut away and deform the lid of a can in order to present a pouring space equal to approximately one-half of the top or lid part of the can opened, and which also forces the sheared metal parts into an inaccessible position within the interior of the can in order to prevent injury to the mouth of a drinker.

The invention comprises a base member indicated generally at A, which may be formed of erally at B. The base A is provided with a flat can receiving platform 3 and a flat flange or ledge part 4 adjacent the top thereof. The base A is cut away at opposite sides adjacent the arcuate recess as at 5 so that the user may grip the can and hold the same in position during the cutting operation.

The back of the base A is provided with an aperture 1 in communication'vvith a transverse bore 8 in which an axle 9 is rotatably positioned. The axle 9 carries a pinion 12 positioned in the aperture 1. An end of the axle 9 projects laterally from the base A and carries a handle 13. A vertically disposed guideway I4 is provided in the base member A in communication with the aperture I. Disposed slidably within the-said guideway [4 is a rack !5 adapted to co-act with pinion [2. A head member I6 is provided with a slot on its under side into which the to of the rack I5 is disposed and held therein by means of a set screw or the like l9. Thus, when the'handle i3 isrotated .arcuatel y, the pinion co-acts with rack I5 in positive mesh to move the same and connected' head member vertically up ordown dependent upon the direction .of. rotation of the lustrate the opener in operative or-cutting posi tion. It is to be noted a toothis omitted from the rack as at 2|,in order to prevent the same 7 from being elevated beyond a predetermined point. Obviously, the pinion can be mutilated in order to accomplish the same desired end.

The front of the head member I6 is cut away aszat :22 for reception'of the blade indicated gen erally at 23, and overlying shield indicated generallyat 24 and which are held in position by means of removable set screws 38 or other suitable conventional means.

The blade 23 is arcuate in cross-section and substantially'triangular in elevation, and is provided-with a rib or ibafiie member 26 which is disposed longitudinally of the blade and centrally thereof. The rib or ba'file member 2 6 terminates short of the apex or pointed or piercing end of the blade indicated at 2?. The rib is curved or inclined as at 28, away from the inside orconcave face of the blade from adjacent the apex thereof and toward the head member, and does not project further inwardly-at any given point than. then'cutting edges 32 of the said arcuate bladeimmediately opposite said point. The blade 23 is disposed perpendicular to the head member I3, which in turn is parallel to the can receiving platform 3.

The shield 24 is arcuatein cross-section, and is carried by the head member l6 and is spaced outwardly from and overlies the convex or outer face of the cutter blade 23. The shield is preferably provided with a bead around the bottom edge thereof. The shield 24 is inclined slightly outwardly from the blade 23 from the top to the bottom thereof substantially as indicated in Figs. 7, l1 and 12, and extends below blade 23.

Referring more specifically to Figs. 11- and 12, the relative positions of the blade and shieldare indicated with respect to the conventional sea-led can-being cut. The can, illustrated generally at B,-comprises a bead 34, top or lid 35, and a side wall 36. The arcuate blade 23 at the beginning of thecutting stroke (Fig. 11) cutsthe metal of the lid adjacent bead 34 around the inner periphery ofthe head, while the shield 24 is "spaced outwardly from the said,bead At the bottom or,

the cutting stroke (Fig. 12) the metal portion of the can cut by the blade 23 is indicated at 35a, and has been depressed into the can by means of the rib 26. The portion of sheared metal adjacent the bead is indicated at 351) and is compressed and flattened against the inner side of the wall 36 by means of the wedging action of blade and shield.

It is noted that the blade and shield are carried by the head member removably by means of set screws 38. In the event the cutting blade becomes dull after long use, it is only necessary to remove the set screws in order to replace the cutting blade in order to rehabilitate the opener. The can receiving recess 2, defined top and bottom by means'of flange 4 and platform 3, are

of such proportion to hold snugly a can therein during the cutting operation. Further, after the cutting stroke has been completed and the sheared metal 35b has been flattened against the inside wallof the can by meansflof the wedge action'jof shield. and blade, the handle, may then be rotated in reverseposition to elevate thelcutter head and disengage the blade and shield from the can,and the said can will beheld in position durin the,

disengaging operation by means of the flange 4.

In operation the can B is positioned in the can receiving recess 2, and may be held in position by one hand of the operator who grasps the handle l3 with his other hand and rotates the same arcuately toward the head member 13 of the opener. The head'member, carrying blade and shield, is urged downwardly toward the "top or lid of the can and the arcuate blade shearsthe metal of the can adjacentthe inner side of the bead 34 thereof. -As the blade is depressed to cut the lid or top of the can, the rib 26 contacts. themetal 35a cutaway by the blade and bends the same downwardly into the can.

The shieldis disposed'exteriorly of the can side walls and is inclined slightly outwardly from the blade, which is positioned normal, to the lid or top of the can. The distance between theshield and blade adjacent the bottom ends thereof-is slightly in excess of the width of the head 34 of the can, whereas the distance between the shield and blade adjacent the upper portions thereofis slightly lessthan the said width of the bead. Consequently, as the cutting stroke nears completion the beadand sheared metal portion 3512 are compressed between the shield and blade, and the said sheared metal 35b is wedged smoothly and downwardly against side wall 36.

The handle, when rotated in reverse direction, actuates the pinion and rack to elevate the head member and disengage the shield andbladefrom the can. The can is held in position relativeto V the opener during disengagement by means of the flange 4 and platform 3, which prevent tilt-.

ing or upward movement of the can.

It is noted that the end of the elevating stroke places the handle in position Wherebyit main;

a spring orequivalent in the bottom of the guide- Way'l l to abut against the bottom of the rack I5, in order to bias the same normally upward into inoperative position. Obviously, other conventional means may be employed by those skilled in the art to, maintain the opener in normal inoperative position.

It is to be noted that the present opener is-de signed for use with cans of uniform size. The can receiving recess, flange 4 and. platform 3, are dimensioned to receive andhold cans of-oneuniform size and shape. Similarly, the blade is curved arcuately to correspond to the curvature of the cans with which it is to be employed, and the shield is also similarly shaped.

It is further noted that the blade and rib are formed of suitable material, such as steel, and are, preferably, thin enough that when the cutting stroke is completed and the blade and rib are immersed in the contents of the can opened, their combined displacement of contents is less than the normal head space in the can in order to obviate spillage.

The present invention is particularly useful to transform sealed cans into suitable drinking receptacles for dispensing beverages therefrom, as, for example, in sports arenas or other public gatherings where portability of facilities and rapidity of service is desirable.

In addition to opening the can in such a manner as to present a drinkable edge thereof to the user, it is possible, by two cutting operations of the opener, to remove completely the entire lid from the can. This operation is accomplished by first depressing the blade of the opener in the usual fashion to cut away half of the can lid and then turning the can 180 about its horizontal axis and depressing the blade again to sever the remainder of the lid. In order to remove the lid from the can after the completion of the second cut, as aforesaid, the rib member 26 may be 15:4

formed of a magnetic material, such as Alnico for example, which will magnetically attract the lid after it is severed from the remainder of the can. When the head member is elevated the said sheared lid is removed from the inside of the can and may then be manually lifted from the rib and discarded.

While the invention has been described and illustrated in rather specific detail for purposes of clarity by way of example, it is understood that changes, modifications and alterations in structure and assembly may be practiced by those skilled in the art within the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1, An opener for containers comprising a cutting blade, said blade arcuate in cross-section and substantially triangular in elevation, an arcuate shield member spaced outwardly from said blade and inclined away therefrom from top toward bottom, the arcuate curvatures of said blade and said shield arranged substantially concentrically with respect to one another, said shield having an arcuate length slightly greater than the arcuate length of said blade, and means to reciprocate in a vertical straight line path said blade and shield in unison.

2. An opener for containers according to claim 1, and wherein said blade is provided with baflie means to urge a portion of the top of a container into the interior thereof upon reciprocation of the blade.

3. A can opener comprising a base member having a can receiving recess and means to prevent vertical movement of a can positioned in said recess, a head member positioned over said recess, an arcuate blade having a piercing point carried removably by said head member, an arcuate shield carried by said head member overlying and spaced outwardly from said blade, said shield inclined outwardly from said blade from top toward bottom thereof, a baille member carried by said blade and disposed on the inside face thereof, and means comprising manually operable means to reciprocate said head member selectively.

4. A can opener according to claim 3, and wherein said baffle member comprises a thin rib inclined away from the inside face of said blade.

5. A can opener comprising a base member having a can receiving recess arranged to position a can relative to a cutting blade and means to prevent vertical movement of said can, a head member overlying said recess, an arcuate cutting blade carried removably by said head member and having a can piercing point, an arcuate shield carried by said head member overlying and spaced outwardly from said blade, said shield inclined slightly outwardly from said blade from top toward bottom thereof, a bailie member carried by the concave face of said blade and inclined away from said face from the bottom toward the top thereof, and means comprising gear means to reciprocate said head member selectively.

JOSEPH B. DONNELLY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 299,379 Greenwood May 27, 1884 1,170,386 Anderson Feb. 1, 1916 1,502,465 Garrett July 22, 1924 1,512,214 De Lloyd Oct. 21, 1924 1,895,221 Jensen Jan. 24, 1933 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 158,501 Switzerland Nov. 30, 1932 

